Impoz Speed Racer

The Triumph Speed Triple is a terrific bike straight out of the box, and it’s been a huge sales success for Triumph. Ample power comes from a 1050cc DOHC, three-cylinder, fuel injected engine and the styling is unusually distinctive—thanks to those ‘bug-eyed’ twin headlamps. But you don’t see many customs based on the Triple, unlike its Bonneville stablemate. So this French machine caught my eye. It’s the work of Benjamin Blanchard, a 27-year-old graphic designer from Cannes, in the south of France.

Over twelve months Blanchard has painstakingly remodelled the bike, making parts in a small homemade workshop, and the ‘Impoz Speed Racer’ is the result. The cut-down frame was only the start of this project: all the bodywork has been crafted from carbon fiber with incredible detail. (The fenders, for example, were made from molds taken from the tires, to ensure a perfect fit.) Blanchard’s aim was a ‘minimal concept to provide maximum sensation’ for the rider, not only through design, but also from lightening the bike as much as possible. Having spent a bit a time in Cannes myself, I know it requires something special to stop the traffic. But this Speed Triple has got what it takes. Blanchard, a man of many talents, also took the photos you see here.